Friday, 18 November 2011

Sarah's Fun Fact Fridays! - Going Round In Circles!

Welcome to SFFF! And so to the facts....

Did you know that only 45% of London's underground is actually UNDER-ground......it is the oldest underground in the world - and originally, a set of numerous lines, it was officially joined up in 1933! Currently the shortest distance you can travel is between Leicester Square and Covent Garden - a mere 0.16 miles (it's actually quicker to walk!!!!)

Are you going underground.....or just getting deeper?

Covent Garden, or should I say Convent Garden, was originally part of Westminister Abbey and having spent it's early life being farmed it became the first official public square in the country in the 17th Century. But what's that got to do with going round in circles, I hear you ask? - the design of the square was actually taken from the Italian Piazzas and we know what the Italian's are famous for.....

Not quite the quiet place to pray any more.....

That's right the good 'ole pizza - which of course is circular- the word however, is dervived from the Italian word 'pizziare' meaning point! The term pizza first appeared in 997 AD in text that claimed certain tenant's must give the Pope 12 pizzas every Christmas day! Naples is the original home and we were lucky enough to taste the real deal HERE! However, it's worldwide fame came when the Italian immigrants took the humble pizza to the USA and during World War II the yanks got quite a taste for it. Post 1940 pizzerias sprung up EVERYWHERE!

Viola....

And so to my final fact.....PIZZAS ARE VEGETABLES!!!! I kid you not- it's official! The US congress said so....the amount of tomato paste in pizza sauces means that they can be counted as 1 of your 5 a day! In fact according to congress anything containing 2 or more spoonfuls or tomato sauce can be counted as a vegetable!

Only another 4 portions to find!

Pizza Hut is actually the oldest well known leading pizza chain - established in 1958 and having sold billions of pizzas, its name actually came around by pure chance. The first restaurant sign only had room for 9 letters and the building looked like a hut, so viola PIZZA HUT! It's now over 50 years old and owned by the largest restaurant company in the world- Yum Brands Inc! However you want to enjoy your pizza - eat in, buffet style, takeaway, delivery - ordered online or called in enjoy it, knowing you are eating something nutritious and delicious (according to congress)!

It's a good job they weren't in a cabin!

So for this week I will say goodbye - or 'god be with you' as it originally was (that God guy likes to get in on everything doesn't he!?!)

Ah yeah and I found this that I thought I would share....to set the scene- it was my birthday, Laura and I were at our weekly pub quiz and at half-time the quiz host would ask questions regarding a person and whoever got it quickest won a prize! See how long it takes a certain someone to get the right answer......